Sierra de Grazalema - Permits

Does anybody know if the tourist information office in Grazalema is still open and whether walking permits (for Garganta Verde) can still be obtained there. I know that the office closed a few years ago but was then re-opened by a British couple but I understand there was some issue with them being able to issue permits. We will be visiting in April and would like to avoid travelling out of our way to El Bosque for permits if not absolutely necessary.

I'd forgotten about needing a permit for that bit - I didn't go there for that reason I don't know the answer to your question, but Guy Hunter-Watts wrote a good guide book including the area and I'm pretty sure he lives in the vicinity. Perhaps you could be cheeky and contact him to ask?

A quick follow up to confirm that it is still possible to get permits from Grazalema but only in advance as the issuing office in El Bosque will only Fax them through after 14.00H. We had to go to El Bosque the day before our walk and then had to fill in an application at the Tourist Office and carry it across town to the Technical Office in order to receive our permit (Spanish bureaucracy at its best). The whole tedious procedure was well worth the effort, however, as the descent into the gorge was spectacular.